bolt Hear it!

bolt1 definition

bolt (bōlt)

noun

  1. a short, heavy, often blunt arrow shot from a crossbow
  2. a flash of lightning; thunderbolt
  3. a sudden dash or movement
  4. a sliding bar for locking a door, gate, etc.
  5. a similar bar in a lock, moved by a key
  6. a threaded metal rod or pin for joining parts, having a head and usually used with a nut
  7. a roll (of cloth, paper, etc.) of a given length
  8. a jet or column (of some liquid)
  9. ☆ a bolting or withdrawal from one's party or group
  10. Firearms a sliding bar that pushes the cartridge into place, closes the breech, and extracts the empty cartridge case after firing

Etymology: ME & OE, akin to Ger bolzen < IE base *bheld-, to knock, strike

transitive verb

  1. Archaic to shoot (an arrow, etc.)
  2. to say suddenly or unexpectedly; blurt (out)
  3. to swallow (food) hurriedly; gulp down
  4. to hold together or fasten with or as with a bolt
  5. to roll (cloth, etc.) into bolts
  6. ☆ to withdraw support from or abandon (a party, group, etc.)

intransitive verb

  1. to dash out suddenly; spring; dart
  2. to start suddenly and run away, as a horse
  3. ☆ to withdraw support from or abandon a party, group, etc.
  4. Hort. to produce seed prematurely
bolt Idioms

bolt from the blue

  1. a thunderbolt from a clear sky
  2. a sudden, unforeseen occurrence, often an unfortunate one

bolt upright

straight up; erect or erectly

shoot one's bolt

to do one's utmost; exhaust one's capabilities
bolt2 definition

bolt (bōlt)

transitive verb

  1. to sift (flour, grain, etc.) so as to separate and grade
  2. Archaic to inspect and separate, as good from bad; examine closely

Etymology: ME bulten < OFr buleter, ? dissimilated < *bureter < bure (< VL *bura), coarse cloth; akin to It burattare < buratto, sieve

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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